Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-03-03
That Veto.

The title OF the pension OIL recently
vetoed clearly indicates its purpose.
1t was for the relief of dependent
parents and honorably discharged sol
diers and sailors who are now disabled
and dependent upon their own labor for
support" meaning such persons as must
be supported by friends or at the infrm-
aries.
There are many old. dependent par
ents who lost one or more sons in the
late war. The Government reaped, and
posterity will continue to reap untold
benefits from this great personal loss to
the parents. These boys died for the
welfare of other people. 1t is right,
then when men give up their lives,
voluntarily or otherwise, for the benefit
Of mankind-to permit their aged par
ents to become entirely dependent upon
charity?
There is nothing in tie shape of i'm
gratitude, in or out of the bottomless
pit. meaner than thisl
This act also provided for she relief of
dependent, honorably discharged solr
diers and sailors" Such persous must
have support from some quarter or go
to the poor house.
In addition to sn honorable dis
charge" the bill provided that the pert
sons for whom the pensions we're de-
signed must show that their poverty
was mot the result of their own vicious
habits or gross carelessness."
In what position are shese dependents
placed by the veto? They, in effect, are
told that their services to the coun-
try and to mankind rank no higher than
the public services of the ordinary in
mates of the inirmaries. Next to the
abandonment of the dependent fathers
and mothers who sired and nutured the
brave hearts which stopped beating on
the Union battle fields of this country.
no doctrine Is more infamous!
So long, we believe, as the battles Of
this country are fought by volunteers.
the pension system must prevail. When
1t goes every male citizen, of proper age
and physical condition, may have to
take his place in the armed system of
the country. Inasmuch, therefore, as
we have the pension system, and a gen.
orally prevailing desire to keep out of
the poor house the dependent parents
referred to in this bill, and the soldiers
and sailors who have not disabled them
selves by their own vicious habits or
gross carelessness." the opponents of a
pension bill of this nature will do well
to observe:
1. That the President, while rightly
disapproving the bill for alleged loose
ness in form, did not point cut the OBJ
iectionab,e features of that character
and intimate that if they were removed
be would approve this or a similar
measure.
q That, if he sincerely desires 10 give
relief to the persons specified, some
effort will be made, at an early date, by
his friends, and under bis auspices. to
frame bill which will meet his objec-
tions to the one which, as he says, was
too loosely drawn.
g. That the principle of this bill is
right; that it was recognized in the Mex.
lean pension bill-signed by Mr. Cleve'
land-and ought to be applied to the
dependent parents and soldiers and
sailors of the late war; that when we
need men to whip England, as we prob
ably will some day, there will be the
same rush of volunteers as characters
lied the early years of the late war, and
then who will say. when we have &C
quired q territory almost the size Of
Europe-more than nine-tenths of which
is now unoccupied and subject to mold
ing in any form-that any of the boys
who fought, and who, in later years
became dependent. should. with the de-
pendent parents of their fallen com
rades, be given cold potato and sent
to the in6rmary?
God never smiles on such heartles.
governments!